It's official: Owners of Jimmy's Place to run golf course restaurant

The owner of an east Allentown bar known for heavy metal music shows said he's looking for a fresh start when he takes over the restaurant at the Allentown Municipal Golf Course in February.

Jim Noti and his brother, Anthony Noti, were awarded a $45,000-a-year contract Thursday to operate the restaurant for the next four years. The Fegley family, owners of the Brew Works in Allentown and Bethlehem, had run the golf course restaurant as Brew Works on the Green since 2009.

The Notis, who together make up Iton Inc., are best known for Jimmy's Place, the Airport Road bar frequented by motorcyclists and lovers of the bar's $5.96 cheese steak special. But that was really their father's bar, Jim Noti said. He ran if for 30 years before his death in 2011.

"In a way I'm glad that everybody knows I own Jimmy's," he said. "That became my thing. But this is how I want to start my career."

The new restaurant will have a completely different feel from the east Allentown bar, Noti said. Think golf memorabilia in place of darkened windows lining the walls. The menu will include pub fare with a variety of chicken, steak and club sandwiches, as well as wings and salads. A $10 buffet will be offered on tournament days, he said.

Like Jimmy's, the food will be affordable, but with the move to the other end of town, the golf course restaurant will cater to a different crowd, Noti said.

"I love my clientele at Jimmy's, but I don't envision them coming out," he said. "I want to keep the people there playing golf every day, keep them satisfied."

Changes at the golf course restaurant will be noticeable, Noti said. Plans call for a 23-foot extension of the bar and a return to mostly domestic beer, he said. A few microbrews and pale ales will still be available, but none of the Fegley beers that have been served at the restaurant, he said.

Noti will operate the on-course beverage cart. In the summers, a separate bar on the patio could sell six packs and fresh grilled food for customers on the go, he said. Noti said he will be open to suggestions from regular customers, particularly golfers who frequent the restaurant.

"I want to make it a convenient place for people to come in and out and have a good time," he said.

The Fegley family, which ran Brew Works on the Green, was paying $35,000 a year to offer pub fare and microbrews at the golf course restaurant. When it opened, the family had the backing of city officials, including Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who was looking to rebrand the space.

The new contract will increase the rent to $45,000 annually and allow outside caterers to be used for events held at the golf course. Jeff Fegley, co-owner of Brew Works, said the family decided not to bid on the new lease because the terms were detrimental to business. Iton Inc. was the only bidder.

Noti said he isn't concerned that terms of the contract had changed.

"I accept this challenge with open arms," he said. "I see there is an opportunity for great things to happen out there."

Patrons at the golf course restaurant won't be the only ones in for a change. The existing Jimmy's Place has been sold to make way for a Taco Bell, and the bar will move to an east Allentown location to be determined, Noti said.